ânerie

stupidity, foolish remark

noun ahn-REE Rare

Origin: From âne (donkey), with the pejorative suffix -erie.

Usage Note

Ânerie draws directly on the image of the donkey as a symbol of stubbornness and stupidity in French culture. It refers to a foolish act or a dumb thing said, and is often used in the plural: dire des âneries means 'to talk nonsense'. The base noun âne can itself be used to call someone a fool.

Examples

"Il a encore dit une ânerie."

Natural Translation

He said something stupid again.

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